Dear Jude Friend,

We hope your New Year is off to a wonderful start. Jude had a good month, including lots of fun over the holidays. She received some new crinkle balls for Christmas and a bag of her favorite cat treats. I think she liked the treats more than the toys, but she did bat the toys around for a while.

Jude had nine seizures this past month, which is a little high for her, but they all passed fairly quickly. I have no idea why nearly all of her seizures happen in the middle of the night, but that is what happens. It’s incredibly rare for her to have a seizure during the day. It is much safer for her that they happen at night, because she is in her playpen overnight, with me sleeping right near her. During the day she could smack into furniture and hurt herself.

During the night, I am with her before the seizure even gets into a full-blown grand mal seizure, so I hold her and keep her safe. As soon as she even starts to twitch I am awake, out of bed, and by her side. I really have no idea how I wake up so easily as she starts to have a seizure because I am a very heavy sleeper otherwise. As Jude starts a seizure, it is the softest little sound, barely a movement, but somehow it wakes me up right away. I am very grateful for this so I can be by her when she needs me.

Jude has a new brother, Warren. He is a kitten that I have been fostering for the past 4 months (since he was 1 day old), and while I never adopt kittens, I can’t foster for that long and give him up. He has become part of the family, and he’s such a great boy. I usually would only keep the special needs cats, but I fell hopelessly in love with Warren.  Jude loves kittens, as long as they don’t jump on her. She loves listening to them when they are tiny, and meowing and squeaking.  It’s the cutest thing!

Jude had many baths this month, which is not such a big deal to her anymore. She still grumbles, but I really think she has got used to having a bath. She loves being clean and is not able to do it herself, especially after getting poop on herself. She does some basic self-grooming, but we will never leave her dirty after a poop accident. She still hates being dried with the towel and yells at me loudly. I just kiss her head and tell her I love her.

Jude is still good friends with her sister, Luvs (who has spina bifida). They get along so well and really look alike (even though they are not real sisters). I also have to manually express Luvs twice a day, to help her pee and poop, and Luvs doesn’t like this. She can walk (not exactly normal, but she can walk and run), so when it’s time to express her she runs away from me. A few times she has gone to Jude and laid down next to her. Does she know she looks so much like Jude? Does she think I will get them mixed up? This makes me laugh when she does this.

That’s all the Jude news for now. Jude wishes you a very happy 2024, and she sends a huge thanks for supporting her. We couldn’t do this without you.

Your correspondent,
Karina